


Adjustments

by Angie13



Category: Cinderella (Fairy Tale), Sleeping Beauty (Fairy Tale)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-06
Updated: 2014-01-06
Packaged: 2018-01-07 16:42:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1122154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angie13/pseuds/Angie13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Helping hands are just as important to princesses as the rest of us.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Adjustments

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ailelie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ailelie/gifts).



> Thank you for pinch-hitting! I meant to get this in for Madness but I missed the time by an hour. Whoops!

“So how are you adjusting to things, dear?”

Big blue eyes refocused on her and blinked languidly at Ella’s question and, discretely, she pressed the tip of her tongue behind her straight white teeth so as to keep from saying something that would be quite rude. Instead she smiled encouragingly and reminded herself that it had to be dreadfully difficult to come to terms with a new world. Then again, in a far less magically extreme way, she herself had been confronted with the same sense of disconnect and displacement. “Aurora?”

“I… That is…” The former Sleeping Beauty turned her eyes down to stare at her delicate hands, folded in her lap, pale skin a drastic contrast to the deep blue silk. “It’s dreadfully noisy, don’t you think?” she finally offered.

That brought Ella up a bit short and she did some of her own blinking before impulsively reaching out to wind her fingers with the other woman’s. She felt the catch of her old callouses against soft skin and made the contact as gentle as she could in consideration of Aurora’s noticeable tendency to be over-sensitive to touch. Still she felt the slim fingers twitch. It was, she assumed, lingering issues from the dratted spindle-touch. “Oh, dear,” she murmured and gave a reassuring squeeze. “I suppose it would be. You had so much peace and quiet for so long. Have you mentioned that to anyone?”

Aurora shook her head but she left her hand in Ella’s and the more-seasoned young queen took this as a good sign. “I think you should. I also think it might be a good idea to ask for as many tapestries to be hung as possible. They dampen the noise, you know.”

“Oh. That would be a good thing.” Aurora lifted her head, offered a little smile, and returned the squeeze.

A small frown crossed Ella’s expression at the sight of the other young woman’s expression. It was the first time since they settled down with their tea and finger sandwiches that she had managed a full inspection of her fellow princess. Faint smudges shadowed the skin beneath the big blue eyes and there was a certain slackness around her rosebud lips. A general dimness seemed to cling to her golden hair and ivory skin. Aurora was still astoundingly beautiful, of course, but… By heavens, she was also astoundingly tired, Ella realized with a start. Her hand tightened unconsciously and Aurora squeaked. “Oh. Oh, dear, I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry.” 

Rushing to shift her chair closer, Ella peered into the other woman’s face earnestly. “You haven’t been sleeping, have you?” she asked in a gentle voice. Aurora hesitated for only an instant before nodding. “Are you… Afraid?”

“... I dreamed so much. I don’t want to dream anymore. What if this is all a dream yet? What if I never woke up at all?”

“Well, you know…” Ella suddenly smiled and patted the back of Aurora’s hand. The problems of an insomniac princess fell completely outside her sphere of knowledge but she could understand the fear of losing what one had. “I have an idea about that. Have you pinched yourself?”

“Pinched myself?”

“Of course. The best way to know if you’re dreaming or not.”

She hesitated for a moment and then Aurora held out an arm. “Please,” she whispered. Lifting an eyebrow, Ella waited until she received a definite nod. Then she reached out to deliver a sharp little pinch. Aurora yelped, her slim body straightening with the shock until she nearly leapt from her chair.

Then, quite unexpectedly, she began to giggle. 

“... Aurora? Dear?”

“I… I felt that! I’m not dreaming!” Breathless from her laughter, Aurora clutched at both of Ella’s hands. “So you’re as real as I am and everything is real and I’m awake!” 

Helpless to do anything but join the amusement, Ella grinned and nodded to reinforce the realization. When the giggles finally faded, though, she ducked her head to better inspect Aurora’s flushed face again. “Now, then,” she began. “Now that we have that bit solved… Do you think we should try warm milk or bedtime stories first?” A slow-blinking stare greeted the question but then another lovely smile grew and Aurora shrugged. Ella made a clicking sound with her tongue but her own smile remained. “I’ll instruct Pierre to send word to your prince that you’ll be home tomorrow.”

The grateful press of Aurora’s fingers on her hand made Ella beam and she knew, one way or another, this problem would be untangled and the former Sleeping Beauty would finally, at last, be able to rest without fear. Oh, she was very glad indeed that she had bit her tongue and came from such a sensible background. Sometimes wands and thorns really were no match for a good pinch and a cup of warm milk.


End file.
